General

What is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is the act of traveling to other coutries to obtain medical, dental or cosmetic care. A combination of many factors has lead to the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism: high costs of healthcare in industrialized nations, waiting list, ease and affordability of international travel, improving technology and standards of care in many countries of the world.

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What should I tell my doctor?

We encourage our patients to discuss their plans with their primary physician. While most physicians are familiar with the concept of medical tourism, it may be necessary for you to help educate them further on the proposition and share some of our educational materials. It is not uncommon for a physician's initial reaction to be skeptical, although we find that doctors generally become more receptive to the idea once they look into the actual hospitals, physician credentials and overall price differential.

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I am a small business owner, can Healthbase help me develop a medical tourism service offering for my employees?

Yes. Healthbase provides medical tourism services for both consumers and corporations. We would be happy to help you develop a medical tourism program for your company. With our growing network of providers and high-tech website, it is possible to offer a wide range of medical services to employees for a fraction of the cost. Healthbase offers corporate medical tourism services for businesses of any size. For more information click here.

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How can I reach Healthbase when I am abroad?

All patients can reach Healthbase through our website, email or direct phone line. Additionally, those who elect to use a local guide will have full-time service and assistance from our carefully chosen patient liaisons.

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Why does medical care cost so much less abroad?

Patients can receive expert medical care for 60-80% less cost at our overseas hospital network. Fees in the U.S. are driven by labor overhead, administrative expenses, and insurance contracts. Over 71 percent of hospital costs are labor related according to a recent World Health Organization report which helps to explain some of the cost advantages for countries with low labor costs. Healthbase eliminates these burdens by connecting patients directly to hospitals, allowing us to offer premier services at prices unavailable in the U.S. Quality has always been our primary concern at Healthbase. Our continued success depends entirely upon our reputation for world-class surgical services.

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What services are included in my medical estimate?

Our medical quotes factor in hospital fees, physician charges, an initial consultation, medical tests as specified, anticipated meal and accommodation charges based on the expected hospital stay, registered nurse coverage and a follow-up consultation after your medical treatment is complete. Each quote will accompany specific terms and conditions for the quote. Separate quotes will be provided for travel-related charges like flight, transfers and accommodation. Login to request a quote from our hospital partners or to use our free cost estimator tool.

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How much money can I save by going abroad for medical treatment?

Our partner hospitals provide first class medical treatment for 20-40% of the cost of comparable US medical services. For major procedures, our members can save thousands of dollars through our service offerings even with travel expenses factored into the equation. Healthbase provides a free cost estimator (available for registered members) wherein you can estimate the cost for medical procedures in various countries. Registration is free, click here to register.

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When are payments due?

Prior to the actual medical treatment, consumers are only required to make a small down-payment to schedule their treatment. The remaining payment is required at the time of service and is paid directly at the hospital. There are several payment options available to consumers using PayPal.

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How do I make a payment?

Healthbase provides several payment options using PayPal. Paypal is an account-based system that lets anyone with an email address securely send online payments using their credit card or bank account. Over 100 Million users use PayPal to send and receive money. Please visit http://www.paypal.com for more information. PayPal account setup is easy and it is free for buyers.

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Can I arrange financing or get a loan through Healthbase?

We have expanded our services to include loan assistance offers through our finance partners. Healthbase has affiliated with Med Loan Finance and Dental Loan Finance to provide external financing options to our customers. Direct access to our partners is available after Login.

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How do I know that the quality of care is excellent?

Our continued success is dependent on our reputation for providing quality care at discounted prices, so the quality of our partner hospitals is our greatest concern. We only work with internationally accredited hospitals that meet or exceed our high standards of care. To ensure exceptional service, Healthbase performs a rigorous screening and selection process through on-site visits and extensive research. We also monitor the quality of our providers through patient feedback and reports by international healthcare agencies.

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What training and background do the physicians at your partner hospitals have?

At Healthbase, we aim to make healthcare more transparent through information. As our customer, you are invited to review our physician profiles to better understand the qualifications of Healthbase medical providers. Many of the physicians in our partner hospitals have done all or part of their training in the US and/or the UK. When patients compare Healthbase physicians to doctors in the US, patients find that the qualifications are often surprisingly similar. In fact, many patients do not realize that almost a quarter of physicians practicing in the US are foreign trained. According to an October 2005 article from the New England Journal, almost 22% of MDs practicing in the United States in 2004 were non-Americans trained in foreign medical schools.

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What are the facilities like? Do the hospitals maintain the same standards of sanitation?

The facilities at our partner hospitals are immaculate. Healthbase carefully screens our partner hospitals to ensure that they adhere to the highest standards of cleanliness and service. Our patients can expect deluxe rooms, delicious food, internet access, no wait-lists and excellent registered nurse coverage. Our hospitals are internationally accredited like JCI, which ensures that they adhere to the highest standards of sanitation and care. Joint Commission International (JCI) is the international arm of the US-based accreditation body Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). In JCI, there are 565 standards divided into 197 core standards that must be met to achieve accreditation and 368 other standards that lead organizations to best practice levels. These standards are further divided into 1033 measurable parameters, which focus on aspects such as patient safety, patient rights, facilities, and physicians` credentials besides policies and procedures of the organization. To get accredited, a hospital will have to fully meet most of these parameters and the remaining ones at least partially. We invite you to take a tour of our partner hospitals through our photos and 360 degree views of the hospital interior, patient suites, operating rooms, and spacious lobbies. Registration is simple, easy and free. Click here to register.

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Do Healthbase partner hospitals have access to the latest technology and medical devices?

Our partner hospitals generally have state-of-the-art facilities and all the latest equipment you would find in Western hospitals. Most of our hospital partners have latest equipments, like the 64-slice CT Scan. Patients can even assess the latest technology for themselves: our hospital profiles list many of the hospital's latest medical acquisitions. Login to view our detailed hospital profiles. It is free.

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What factors should I consider when choosing the hospital?

The primary considerations in choosing a hospital should be quality of care and cost. Cost comparisons are simple using the Healthbase web portal; Registered patients can easily request, review, compare and choose quotes from their Healthbase account. Quality can be similarly assessed through the Healthbase portal and our variety of materials. Patients can review our hospital research, testimonials, patient assessments and objective facts regarding each of our partners.

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How is the nursing care/staff?

Our Partner hospitals offer excellent registered nurse coverage. Patients often find that the ratio of nurses to patients is significantly better than that of Western medical centers.

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Will I experience language difficulties or translation problems?

Your physicians and nurses speak fluent English so patient should have no trouble communicating with nurses and physicians at our partner hospitals. All patients can reach Healthbase through our website, email or direct phone line. Additionally, Healthbase offers local guide in selected cities to help you in any translation and logistic services.

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How safe is the information that I enter onto your website?

Any information that is entered on the Healthbase Website is secure. Our site is encrypted with the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and all the access is user name, password protected. Your personal information will not be shared with anyone other than the providers you choose to share. Refer our Privacy page for more information.

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How many days prior to the operation do I have to leave?

It depends on the medical procedure. At the time of quote, our hospital providers will advice on how many days prior to the treatment you need to be there. Typically, it is just a day.

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How many days after the operation can I stay?

Patients can stay as long as they like after their treatment is complete. Many choose to travel around their destination country and tour the major sites after their medical treatment. Your medical quote will indicate the minimum number of days you need for recuperation before you fly home when they send your treatment quote. This duration may vary depending on your treatment and recovery.

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What countries do you offer services in?

Our current hospital partners are located in Singapore, India and Thailand and we are expanding to other countries.

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Why have you selected Singapore, India and Thailand as your medical tourism destinations?

There are many countries around the world that provide the same high quality medical care as that found in the USA but at a fraction of the cost. In the future, we will be adding more countries and more hospitals to our network. Singapore, India and Thailand are just the beginning. When selecting our medical providers, we look for well-established hospitals that are internationally accredited, access to international airport, have experience in dealing with international patients, and maintain the highest standards of care and hygiene.

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Do you give medical opinions and advice?

No. Healthbase is not a healthcare provider and we cannot offer medical advice ourselves.

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Do I decide where and in which hospital my procedure will take place?

The choice is entirely up to you as to where and when you would like your surgery performed. With Healthbase, patients can make an informed choice after researching facilities, costs, procedures and reviews through our informational content.

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What is your privacy policy?

We adhere to the strictest standards of patient privacy. All of our forms and processes are secured. All your personal data that you enter or access in our website is SSL encrypted and requires user name and password to access. Healthbase will not share your personal information with anyone without your authorization. Refer our privacy statement for further information.

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How can I register?

Click here to register. Registration is simple, easy and free. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email along with login details.

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How do I access the member-only areas on the Healthbase website?

If you have not already registered as a user, click here to register. It is free. You will be asked to enter some basic contact information in order to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email along with user details. Feel free to contact our customer service representative if you need any help.
If you are already registered, login to our website where it says user login. You should now be able to access the member-only areas on the website. Please call our customer service hotline if you need any help navigating through our site.

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What is hospital accreditation and what are the benefits?

Accreditation is a process in which an entity, separate and distinct from the health care organization, usually non-governmental organization, assesses a health care organization to determine if it meets a set of standards requirements designed to improve quality of care. Accreditation is usually voluntary. Accreditation standards are usually regarded as optimal and achievable. Accreditation provides a visible commitment by an organization to improve the quality of patient care, to ensure a safe environment and to continually work to reduce risks to patients and staff. Accreditation has gained worldwide attention as an effective quality evaluation and management tool.
Source: www.jointcommissioninternational.com

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What is the Joint Commission International?

This is a United States based hospital accreditation organization that makes sure accredited hospitals have state-of-the-art health care facilities and technology along with advanced transportation and communication systems. JCI accredited hospitals' health care standards, professionalism and quality of their doctors are equivalent if not superior to those you find in the United States of America. Joint Commission International (JCI) extends the Joint Commission`s (JCAHO) mission worldwide. Through international consultation, accreditation, publications and education, Joint Commission International helps to improve the quality of patient care in many nations. Joint Commission International has extensive international experience working with public and private health care organizations and local governments in more than 60 countries.
Source: www.jointcommissioninternational.com

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What is JCI Accreditation?

In response to growing interest in accreditation and quality improvement worldwide, the Joint Commission launched its international accreditation program in 1999. Joint Commission International accreditation standards are based on international consensus standards and set uniform, achievable expectations for structures, processes and outcomes for hospitals. Joint Commission International`s standards for hospitals clearly define the principals and processes needed to assess the key functions of acute care organizations and associated ambulatory settings.
Source: www.jointcommissioninternational.com

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How does JCI ensure the quality of hospitals in its network?

Coverage From Patient Entry to DischargeAssess the
quality of patient care from the time a patient enters a facility to
discharge. Utilize this data to plan and implement changes that
create optimal care.

Assessment for All Aspects of ManagementBring
efficiency and best practices to all phases of management, from
clarity of leadership’s responsibility and accountability to
critical facility managed processes and board strategic planning.

Two Levels of ComplianceMeasure performance
against both the core requirements needed to achieve accreditation
and additional standards that lead organizations to best practice
levels.

Creates a Culture of Patient SafetyImplement
standards that focus on patient safety and risk reduction in
clinical processes.

Assessment and Improvement for These Key Functions

Access to and continuity of care

Assessment and care processes

Education and rights of
individuals

Management of information and
human resources

Quality leadership

Infection control

Collaborative integrated
management

Facility Management

Source:
www.jointcommissioninternational.com

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Technical

Which web browsers does the healthbase support?

* IE 6.0+
* Firefox 1.5+
You may upgrade or install the new browser by clicking the links prvoided at the bottom of this page. The browsers are free.

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What is the best format for Medical Reports?

The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard is most preferred format for the Medical Reports. You may upload your lab reports in PDF or JPEG format. For assistance in converting your X-ray and other reports to DICOM format or PDF format, we have partnered with MedTec Imaging Ind. MedTec Imaging will help in scanning, digitiazing your reports and drirectly send it to Healthbase with your authorization. We have special rates for Healthbase members. Login at Healthbase to access the details. The registration is free.

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What are the uses of my Medical Profile?

Your Medical Profile is the one of the base data to help the hospitals you choose to quote for your request. So please provide as much information as possible, which can help the hospitals to quote for your medical treatment requests.

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I am unable to access your website.

What web browser do you use? We support the following browsers: Internet Explorer version 6.0 and above; Firefox version 1.5 and above. The browsers are availale free and you may upgrade or install it using the links below at the bottom of this page.

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How do I find out what version I have?

If you use Firefox, click the 'help' tab on the top tool bar and select 'About Mozilla Firefox'. The version will be noted here.
If you use Internet Explorer, click the 'help' tab on the top tool bar and select 'About Internet Explorer'. The version will be noted here.

Where can I download or update Firefox and Internet Explorer

How do I pay on the Healthbase website?

We provide PayPal services on our website as a secure online payment tool.

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What is PayPal?

Paypal is an account-based system that lets anyone with an email address securely send and receive online payments using their credit card or bank account. Please see http://www.paypal.com for more information.

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What is the Adobe/Acrobat PDF reader?

It is an application that enables you to view PDF (Portable Document Format) files.

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What Adobe Acrobat PDF reader versions does Healthbase support?

Healthbase supports Adobe Acrobat PDF reader 5.0 and above.

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Where can I download the Adobe/Acrobat PDF reader?

Healthbase, an award-winning* medical tourism facilitator in USA, is the trusted source for global medical and dental choices, connecting patients to leading healthcare facilities worldwide. We arrange a variety of medical tourism services from basic consultations to full service treatment abroad. We help you to take care of all your medical tourism details from arranging the surgery and financing options to visas, travel, lodging and tourism.

Healthbase caters to the needs of individual consumers, self-funded businesses, insurance carriers, benefit consultants, insurance agents, and third party administrators seeking affordable medical travel and dental travel options. Our state-of-the-art, easy to use, information rich web-based system makes it easy to coordinate international medical care including necessary travel and accommodation for patients and their companions, all at one place.

The cost of surgical care at our ever growing network of affiliated institutions is typically a fraction of the cost of care in the U.S. with equal or superior outcomes. Healthbase arranges first class services for patients at major internationally accredited hospitals in Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, Belgium, Hungary, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Mexico, USA and is expanding to Canada, UK, Jordan,Taiwan, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Medical Tourism, also termed as Medical Travel, Health Travel, Health Tourism, Global Healthcare, Medical Vacation, Medical Value Travel, Medical Treatment Abroad, International Medical, Surgical Tourism, Surgery Abroad, Surgical Trip, Healthcare Abroad, Medical Outsourcing, offshore Medical and Overseas Medical, is the act of traveling abroad to receive medical, dental and cosmetic care. Significantly lower cost for best practice care is usually the primary motivation behind medical tourism although some medical tourists go abroad for immediate availability of procedures and to seek treatments that are not available in their home country. Patients frequently also take advantage of the opportunity to vacation and tour inexpensively in the foreign country while they are visiting for health care. Signup to know more about medical or dental tourism.

* - Awarded the "Best Website for Accessing International Medical Information for Patients/Consumers" by Consumer Health World 2007.